Leisure battery fuse box

[bill whyte]

I am going to tidy up my leisure battery wiring and add the two side curtain circuits. At present, the two feed cables for the internal lights, radio etc have been removed from the normal fuse box and connected with two cables taken from the leisure battery using in-line fuses. What I thought of doing was to run a 50 amp cable from the leisure battery to a new fuse box fitted near the present fuse box and connect the four feeds to the lights, blinds etc. However, I am not familiar with the types of fuse boxes available for cars. Can you get fuse boxes that takes a single feed into it and pass out the current through 4 fuses. Are these available and what are they called? Also, is what I am thinking of doing a reasonable approach?

[g8dhe]

Plenty of different combinations available see these, I took the route of cutting/breaking the strip at the rear of the existing box and providing a feed from the L/B, however if you want several other fused feeds then a new strip would be worthwhile. Also consider using the mini-fuses to match those in the existing holder that way you won't have to carry both types.

[bill whyte]

I had a look at the internet site you suggested but it is not clear to me what fuse box would be suitable. Only one claims to have a common feed and it is a 12-way. It is also unclear as what one has mini fuses. What one do you suggest ?
I am also uncertain what you mean by breaking/cutting the strip at the back. The feed terminals into the interior fuse box appear to be very secure. Can they be removed and feeds from the leisure battery substituted?

[g8dhe]

Either of the surface mount boxes would allow you to common one side all together using the feed cable (click the image for a bigger picture on that site).

On the existing fuse block, fuses 6 (Blinds n/s),7 (Blinds o/s) & 8 (Cigar, Mirrors, Radio) are already common and feed the relevant devices it might be easier to return the cables to the right place and then feed the L/B to the 6/7/8 connection. I also needed fuse 1 (Interior lights and Radio permanent feed) connected to the L/B so I cut the common connection (quite fiddly needs small tools) between 1 and 2 and then connected 1 the 6/7/8 combination.

There is another technique kicking around as well, in which you remove the fuses you want fed from the L/B and then connect the lower connections from the fuse side using spade connectors which are connected to a single common fuse and thence to the L/B I think this thread covers it. Also the instructions for the Willington kit I believe use the same method. There was a photo kicking around but I can't locate the thread at the moment.

[dvisor]

Either of the surface mount boxes would allow you to common one side all together using the feed cable (click the image for a bigger picture on that site).

On the existing fuse block, fuses 6 (Blinds n/s),7 (Blinds o/s) & 8 (Cigar, Mirrors, Radio) are already common and feed the relevant devices it might be easier to return the cables to the right place and then feed the L/B to the 6/7/8 connection. I also needed fuse 1 (Interior lights and Radio permanent feed) connected to the L/B so I cut the common connection (quite fiddly needs small tools) between 1 and 2 and then connected 1 the 6/7/8 combination.

There is another technique kicking around as well, in which you remove the fuses you want fed from the L/B and then connect the lower connections from the fuse side using spade connectors which are connected to a single common fuse and thence to the L/B I think this thread covers it. Also the instructions for the Willington kit I believe use the same method. There was a photo kicking around but I can't locate the thread at the moment.

There's a photo on page 3 of http://dvisor.dyndns.org/bongo/Willinton_relay.pdf.

[petebee]

try searching for[ patching the fuse box ]that's the method I used .

I did find using one blade of a broken fuse was a much more efficient

connection than a reshaped spade connector in to the main box.

[stringman]

I've got some crimp connectors that fit into the mini fuse slots if you want them (I use them for ignition feeds when fitting hands free kits to new cars!)

[bill whyte]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will have to think over what you have suggested before starting.

[bill whyte]

I have now digested the information supplied and had a look at previous threads. This is what I think I should do:

I should run a 27/35 amp cable from the leisure battery to a point reasonably close to the fuse box under the steering wheel in the car. I should connect this cable to a spade connector on one side of a 4-way fuse box and connect it with the other 3 connectors on that side to make a common feed. Using the correct size of fuses in the fuse box, I should then connect the terminals on the other side of that fuse box with 4 cables that I will take to the fuse box in the car. I will then connect (patch) each of them into the car fuse box terminals using the side of the fuse holder that feeds the appropriate interior lights, blinds etc. I can use connectors that fit into the mini fuse slots from 'stringman' or break up a minifuse and use the blades from it.

Is that correct